1. Field of the Invention
Generally, the present invention relates to a display device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a display device for displaying board shaped devices such as skateboards, snowboards, and wakeboards for retail sales or artistic presentation
2. Description of the Related Art
For over forty years, skateboarding has contributed to popular culture. Throughout its evolution as a hobby and sport, the functional design of the skateboard has generally remained the same. Typically, a skateboard is a thin oblong object with slightly curved ends and with a set of four wheels attached via trucks that is ridden on a flat hard surface such as asphalt or concrete. Similar shaped sport boards have been developed for use on other mediums such as snowboards that are ridden on snow, and wakeboards that are ridden on water while being towed behind a motor boat. For snow and water applications, the wheels are replaced by strap or boot attachment devices on the tops of the boards.
These types of sport boards share a similar shape and all such devices have evolved as a display medium for graphics and artistic designs. Specifically, artwork is silkscreened or otherwise applied to the surface of the board and the boards are then displayed with or without the functional straps or wheel attachments as decorative artwork. There are many known devices for storage of these sport boards, but most current storage devices do not provide for display of the artwork, and specifically do not provide flexibility for display in a variety of orientations that allow artistic presentation of the artwork. Generally, the artwork is designed so that it may be best appreciated with the board oriented in a vertical or horizontal position, however, for artistic purposes, displaying the boards at various angles can create a more interesting and aesthetically pleasing presentation.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,938,864 discloses a display device comprising an S-shaped hook that mounts to a wall. A sport board can either be installed in the slots created by the S-shape or attached with screws on the outside of the hook. When the hook is adapted for use in a wall-mounted configuration, the device is attached to a wall or other vertical surface and the board is attached to the bracket with screws on one end only. This device, however, does not allow for easy installation and removal of the sport board as screws must be installed for attachment. In addition, the attachment is only at one end of the board. With this configuration, installation on an angled surface, such as an angled ceiling, or at a non-vertical angle, would result in strong angled forces due to the weight of the cantilevered board on the installation bolt and the mounting holes for the sport board, potentially resulting in damage to the board or mounting device.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 7,950,535 discloses a display device for multiple skateboards wherein the skateboards are attached with screw mechanisms at only one end of the board. Because the attachment point is at only one end of the board, the weight of the board in a non-vertical display orientation could result in damage to the board.
U.S. Patents such as D342637, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,293,412, and 5,305,897, disclose hooks and mechanisms for storage of skate boards that have wheels installed, and do not display the artwork on the wheel side of the board.
The present invention resolves the problems associated with these prior inventions by allowing display of the sport board without its functional wheels or attachment straps in a vertical, horizontal, or angled orientation to maximize artistic display of the graphic or artistic design. Because the attachment points are at the two ends of the board, there is greater stability for display at any angle. The invention can be used to display sport boards on a vertical wall, on an angled ceiling, or on a pegboard such as those that may be used for retail displays. The option to install on a pegboard also allows flexibility for easily re-orienting the sport board display device for different boards or to change displays in a retail environment. In addition, whereas prior art display devices generally result in a cantilevering of the board relative to the wall or other mounting surface, the present invention maintains the board in a position that is substantially parallel to the wall or other mounting surface to improve visibility and presentation of the artistic design.